Pasta Verde (Spinach) Tossed with Olive Oil, Garlic & Peperoncini and a Spring Green Tablescape

Spring has sprung!

Along with springtime, spinach is arriving in Southern gardens just in time to make some fresh spinach pasta!   Making pasta is so easy . . . and fun too!  You'd never know that including spinach in your pasta is healthier for you, because the taste is just as delicious as regular egg-and-flour-alone pasta.  A great thing about making your own pasta is that you can dry it and freeze it to use on those busy days when you want to have dinner on the table in a flash.  

You can enjoy these lovely sage green noodles in a rich Bolognese sauce or in a lighter sauce such as presented here:  olive oil, garlic, and dried red pepper flakes.  

Fast, delicious and good for your health!

For a perfect spring themed tables cape, use a lot of green in your place mats, napkins, and in this case, plate chargers with an old, used appearance.  Underneath the dinnerware are natural colored woven place mats that give a nice balance to all of the green in the tablescape.

a variety of textures adds interest to the place setting

when using a lot of pattern in your table linens, 

keep your dishes, flatware, and glassware simple 

always mix and match patterns

Pasta Verde

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, preferably Italian type 00.
extra flour for dusting the rolling surface
2 jumbo eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cooked, drained and chopped fresh spinach

Place the flour in a mound on top of the table or counter.
Form a well in the middle of the mound.
Add the eggs and spinach in the center well.
Slowly mix everything together.
Knead for a few minutes, adding a little bit of flour if the dough is too wet.
Shape the dough into a ball and let rest for about 20 minutes.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface.
Use a pasta machine to roll out the dough to your desired shape and thickness.
Or if you are fortunate, use an Italian 'chitarra' to create spaghetti or linguine noodle shapes.

Olive Oil, Garlic, and Peperoncini Sauce

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and about 1/4 stick of butter
2 large cloves garlic, mince
1/3 tsp. dried red pepper flakes (peperoncini)
grated Parmigiana Reggiano cheese (for garnish)

In a medium saucepan, on low heat, saute the garlic in olive oil.  
Do not burn.
Add the peperoncini and mix well.
Place the sauce in a large pasta bowl.
Drain the pasta and then pour the pasta into the bowl with the sauce (using a wee bit of pasta water still in the pasta).
Toss very well.
Serve and pass the cheese around the table to your guests.

you can also have a little bowl of dried red pepper flakes 

to pass around to your guests who may want a little more 'heat' in the sauce!

adding a few teapots crafted in the shape of spring lettuce

adds an extra touch of seasonal charm to the tablescape.

I've shared this spring time pasta recipe on Foodie Friday

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Salisbury Steak with Porcini Mushrooms

 

My mother has been preparing the most kick-butt-awesome Salisbury Steak with an Italian twist for years . . . (translation:  lots of garlic!) and I just had to make it tonight.  Oh my goodness, this recipe just never fails to deliver a mouthful of flavors that you simply can't stop eating!    Porcini mushrooms in a savory, golden mushroom sauce poured over beef patties (and in this version of her recipe I also added ground turkey) filled with green peppers, onions, sauteed mushrooms and garlic:  Heavenly!

This time I made it with half ground turkey to try and make it healthier . . . you'd never know this was added!  I swear!  

I also added Porcini mushrooms along with already required baby portabello mushrooms.  Using the broth from reconsituting the dried Porcini mushrooms enhances this incredible flavor to another level!  SO GOOD!  

If it is still a typically cold or chilly March day where you live, you'll love what my husband describes as "perfect comfort food".

You won't be disappointed with this entree . . . pinkie promise!

 Salisbury Steak with Porcini Mushrooms

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

8 oz. porcini mushrooms, dried (you will reconstitute them in hot water)

2 small containers of fresh baby portabello mushrooms

4 cloves garlic, minced 
1/2 cup Italian parsley, minced

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. ground turkey

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1 jumbo egg

1 jumbo egg white

3/4 cup Italian-style bread crumbs

4 cans (10-3/4 oz.) golden mushroom soup

1 package dry onion soup mix

1 can low-salt beef broth plus 1 Tbsp. beef bouillon ("Better Than Bouillon" paste in a jar)   

Garnish:  1/2 cup Italian parsley, minced

In hot water, place the dried porcini mushrooms to reconstitute.  Do NOT throw away the darkened water after they are soft . . . this is full of flavor stuff!

In a large skillet, cook the onion in olive oil until golden brown.  Set aside.

In the same large skillet, add a little bit of olive oil and about 4 - 6 Tbsp. of the porcini mushroom water.

Saute both the Porcini mushrooms and the baby portabello mushrooms for about 5 - 10 minutes until browned . . . adding more Porcini mushroom water as needed to keep them moist.

Add the Italian parsley to the mushrooms and saute for one more minute.

Add two cloves of minced garlic and saute for a few more minutes. 

Remove the cooked mushrooms, parsley and garlic from the skillet and place HALF of them on a cutting board.  Set aside the other half of mushroom mixture (for the sauce).

Chop up the one half of mushroom/parsley/garlic mixture.

In a large bowl mix the following: ground beef, ground turkey, egg, egg white, bread crumbs, half of the browned, chopped onions, chopped green pepper, and the mushroom mixture you just chopped up (leaving the other half for the sauce!)

Mix together very well.

Form large patties of this beef/turkey/mushroom mixture.

In a separate medium size bowl, mix the golden mushroom soup, beef broth mixed with the beef bouillon, one half of the sauteed onions and dried onion soup mix.  Blend well and set aside.

Place in the large skillet with the remaining unchopped mushroom mixture around the outsides of the skillet.

Place the meat patties in the center of the skillet to brown thoroughly on both sides on medium to low heat.

Remove the browned patties and the mushroom mixture; place in a large baking dish that will go to in the oven.

Pour the golden mushroom soup mixture all over the meat patties and the sauteed mushroom mixture.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Serve with garlic mashed potatoes.

Garnish with chopped Italian parsley.

click below for the complete photo step-by-step instructions

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Simply Delicious For Spring! Fresh Pesto Caesar Salad

It is finally March in the Carolina's, which means that Mother Nature is starting to show her beautiful signs of spring!   Daffodils and pansies are in bloom, and day lilies are pushing their green leaves out of the warming soil.  After all of the grey days of the "uary" months (as my husband and I call them . . . Jan"uary" and Febr"uary"), we welcome the hints of green that begin to show us hope for spring and the coming warmer days ahead.  We spent the weekend cleaning out all of our gardens, tilling and preparing the soil, and mulching our flower beds.  

To some this seems to be nothing but work.  

Yet for me, it's just a joy to be outside again after feeling confined indoors for months.  

Spring is simply my favorite time of year!

the colors of vibrant blue and yellow just captivate the eyes!

joyful, happy, yellow daffodils announce springtime

and the happy faces of blue/purple pansies that show off this rarest of garden colors!

"Green" is also this month's theme for the March Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club hosted by Val from "More Than Burnt Toast".  A perfectly timed theme!  I chose to make a lighter version of the classic Caesar Salad and was wondering throughout the process how this salad could be 'outstanding' as described on the Cooking Light web-site.

Oh wow, does this salad live up to its definition!  After cleaning my salad plate, I ate the rest of the salad out of the mixing bowl!  

My husband had one piece of lettuce and immediately turned up his nose and said, "Ugh, I taste those little anchovies, but I suppose I could enjoy this."  He just dislikes anchovies like no other!

. . . poor guy!  I just don't know what I'm going to do with him sometimes!

But this salad is just incredible, despite it's reduction in calories thanks to the ingenious folks of Cooking Light magazine . . .  and I'll make it over and over again!  I made a few adjustments by adding a little more olive oil to thin down the dressing and added one more clove of minced garlic (I mean, "why not?").  I also used olive oil-based mayonnaise instead of canola mayonnaise.  After all, this is an Italian salad!

Pesto Caesar Salad

3 oz. Italian bread, sliced, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1-1/2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil (I doubled this, you need it!)
Italian-blend seasonings (I added this)

Cooking spray

2 ounces Parmigiana-Regiano cheese

1/4 cup canola mayonnaise (I used olive oil-based mayonnaise)

3 Tbsp. refrigerated pesto (I used my own home-made pesto)

4 tsp. water
2 - 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (my addition)

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. anchovy paste

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce (I used Tabasco)

1 garlic clove, minced (I doubled this to two cloves)

12 cups torn romaine lettuce
anchovy slices for garnish (my addition)
freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt to taste (my addition)

Take a fresh loaf of Italian bread

cut about 4 - 5 slices 1" wide, then cut into 1" cubes

place on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven 

toast for 10 minutes 

(watch them carefully so the bread cubes do not burn)

toss the warm toasted bread cubes with the olive oil

I also added some 'Tuscan" Italian-blend seasonings

grate fresh Parmigiana-Regiano cheese

prepare dressing with olive oil-based mayonnaise

using pesto and the following fresh ingredients.

I freeze tiny little containers of basil pesto every summer 

(click on 'basil pesto' for the link)

this holds about 3Tbsp. of pesto . . . just perfect!

squeeze 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

mince 2 cloves of fresh garlic

in a medium mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients

add anchovy paste, Dijon mustard, Worcesteshire sauce, 

lemon juice, and minced garlic

place freshly cut romaine lettuce in a large salad bowl

add the dressing

toss well

add the toasted bread cubes, toss well

serve on pretty plates

garnish with grated Parmigiana-Regiano cheese

and anchovy fillets

Crack fresh black pepper and sea salt all over to taste!

Preheat oven to 400°.

Place bread in a large bowl; drizzle with oil. Toss to coat.
Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until golden, turning once.
Grate 2 tablespoons cheese; shave remaining cheese to equal about 6 tablespoons. Set shaved cheese aside.
Combine grated cheese, mayonnaise, and next 8 ingredients (including the pesto, through garlic) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
Combine croutons and lettuce in a large bowl.
Drizzle mayonnaise mixture over lettuce mixture; toss to coat.

Place individual portions of the salad on each plate.
Top each serving with 1 tablespoon shaved cheese.

Now here are the other "Green" and lighter, fresh recipes that the others brought to the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club this month:

• Val of More Than Burnt Toast prepared a Creamy Feta Spinach Dip that is perfect served with flat pita bread.
• Susan of The Spice Garden prepared a Salad with New Hampshire Maple-Mustard Dressing.
• Sarah of All Our Fingers in the Pie brought the main entree of Shrimp in Green Sauce.
• Jerry of Jerry's Thoughts, Musings and Rants put together a delicious Salmon with Cucumber Salad and Dill Sauce.
• Sandi of Whistlestop Cafe Cooking accompanied the menu with refreshing Lemony Snap Peas. 

Here are some other delicious salads that I have prepared that I know that you will enjoy:

Panzanella Salad with Pancetta, Tomato and Basil

Spring Salad with Strawberries and Balsamico Vinaigrette

Prosciutto, Goat Cheese, and Cherry Summer Salad

and

Fresh Fig, Gorgonzola, Arugula and Balsamico Vinaigrette Salad

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Pork Chops alla Marsala with Risotto alla Milanese

Nothing is so fine as the flavor that is enhanced by the simple addition of Marsala wine!  It's distinctive sweet flavor when combined with the savoriness of a piece of meat, onions, and garlic is unbelievably memorable.  From the moment of first tasting a sauce with a Marsala base, you'll know that unique flavor forever!  I have to thank my blogging friend, Marie from Proud Italian Cook, for inspiring me to elevate some ordinary pork chops to some sublime pork chops in a Marsala sauce.  I never thought to substitute veal or chicken for pork chops and now I realize how much I have been missing out!  Thanks Marie!

Don't be intimidated by the name of this recipe.  I think that all in all, I prepared this entire dinner in less than one hour.  This recipe has all the elements that both chefs and cooks enjoy:  over-the-top flavor, ease and simplicity, beauty to the eye, and an aromatic aroma . . . plus it seems as if you spent countless hours and work in the kitchen for your family and/or guests!

With a few adjustments (more Marsala!) I combined this Pork alla Marsala entree with classic golden, creamy Risotto alla Milanese.  I had some precious saffron in the kitchen, the most expensive spice on the planet, since the 'threads' are picked by hand from each crocus flower.  I can't remember what the price was for the saffron, but I know that it was a splurge!

Totally worth the expense though!

a heavenly sight to one's eyes on the plate and 

the aroma and flavor is so incredible!

Pork Chops alla Marsala with Risotto alla Milanese

6  Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced 

3 - 4 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 container of freshly sliced crimini mushrooms

salt and pepper

2 - 4 'bone-in' thick-cut pork chops

1/2 cup chicken broth + 3 Tbsp. beef bouillon (I use "Better Than Bouillon", but some recipes call for "brown sauce"

1 cup Marsala wine

3 Tbsp. Mascarpone cheese (some chefs use heavy cream).

freshly diced thyme

freshly diced Italian parsley

Melt the butter along with olive oil in a large skillet.

Add pork chops to brown on both sides; when finished, place the chops in a warm oven for the remainder of the process.

Add diced onions and garlic, saute for a few minutes.

Add mushrooms, saute' until brown and reduced in size.

Allow the mixture to thicken up a bit.

Add Marsala wine.

Add chicken broth plus beef bouillon or 'brown sauce'.

Add the Mascarpone cheese and blend well.

Add thyme and cook for a few minutes to blend all of the flavors.

In a medium-sized baking pan, place a little bit of the sauce on the bottom of the pan.

Place the pork chops on sauce.

Pour all of the remaining mushroom-onion-garlic sauce all over the top.

Place everything back in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or more, or place on low to simmer while you set the table or are preparing a salad or side dish.

Serve with a pretty sprig of fresh thyme and/or chopped Italian parsley.

Serve with Risotto Milanese.

saute' the pork chops until a nicely brown color is achieved in the melted butter and extra virgin olive oil

remove the chops and place on a warming platter in a warm oven 

while sauteing the onions and garlic

add the mushrooms and sauté until browned and cooked well, usually 5 - 10 minutes

add Marsala, other liquids and mascarpone cheese after mushrooms are cooked enough

cook the mushroom-Marsala sauce until thickened

in a pretty baking pan, place a little bit of the mushroom-Marsala sauce on the bottom

and place the browned pork chops on top

pour all of the remaining mushroom-Marsala sauce on top

bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 - 15 minutes

.

Risotto alla Milanese, the creamy rice dish that achieves its vivid golden color and flavor from saffron, is the perfect pairing for Pork Chops alla Marsala.  This tremendously classic risotto recipe from the northern region of Italy became famous from it's golden color that was presented to guests in the year 1574, at a chef's daughter's wedding dinner during which he surprised everyone with 'golden' colored risotto in honor of gold, the ultimate of wedding gifts.

Risotto alla Milanese 

the classic Risotto Milanese gets its extraordinary flavor from 

beautiful reddish-orange saffron, the most expensive spice in the world

that is picked by hand from each flower.

Saffron crocus flowers thrive in the hot, dry summers of the Mediterranean.  To produce just ONE pound of dried saffron requires the harvest of 50,000–75,000 flowers; forty hours of labour are needed to pick 150,000 flowers!

6 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp. saffron threads
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 small yellow onions, minced
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat stock and saffron in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat; keep warm. 
Heat butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. 
Add onions; cook until soft, about 4 minutes. 
Add rice; cook until lightly toasted, about 4 minutes. 
Add wine; cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. 
Add ½ cup warm stock; cook, stirring, until absorbed, about 2 minutes. 
Continue adding stock, ½ cup at a time, and cooking until absorbed before adding more, until rice is tender and creamy, about 16 minutes total. 
Stir in Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. 

I sprinkle just a little more saffron in though!

Magnifico!

Here are some other risotto recipes that I've prepared that I know you will enjoy:


Creamy Risotto with Lemon, Asiago Cheese, and Rosemary

Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms

Risotto con Quattro Formaggio (with Four Cheeses)

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Pot Roast with Vegetables, Garlic & Porcini Mushrooms

My daughter says that I need 'to get with it', stating that I need to start cooking with a slow cooker!  I mean, she said this to her mom who used to be a buyer in the fashion industry where 'new' and 'on-trend' was of utmost importance!  I mean, I'm just sayin'!

For Pete's sake everyone, we 'old folks' (in our 50's) used to call these things CROCK POTS!  These electric cooking pots just seemed so 70's to me!  Good grief Charlie Brown, I'd rather do FONDUE than cook with a crock pot!

Yet this week my husband requested something hearty and comforting for a cold winter's night . . . a pot roast.  Now mind you, I have a THIN man in my life . . . you know the kind of person that you just hate because they can eat ANYTHING and not gain any weight.  It's totally maddening!

All I have to do is look at food or read about it and I seem to pack on the pounds, especially around my butt!  So I pack it on while he packs it in!

It just ain't fair!

So if  Mr. M. and P. (Mr. Meat and Potatoes) asks me to once in a while defer from preparing Italian or healthy weight-watching meals, I'll cave in and gladly oblige.

So we dusted off the slow cooker pot that I purchased four years ago (yup, you read that right!) that still had all of the labels stuck onto it prior to this new cooking venture today.  I had given away my very first, wedding-gift-crock pot from the '70s years ago!  I think that I used it once.  I guess it just wasn't my 'thing'.

Yes, I've made a pot roast before, but never in a slow cooker.  So one thing that I knew I needed to do before putting everything together in this slow cooking process, was to "SEAR" the beef for a nicely browned exterior before putting it in the pot.  Nothing beats that step . . . nothing.

So here's a simple recipe that's probably not very much different than the plethora of recipes out there.

However, I have to admit:  I did add quite a bit of garlic and the porcini mushrooms to make it more Italian.  Because as you know, garlic is a good thing!   :-D

sear the beef in a heavy pot for about 4 - 5 minutes on each side

place the seared roast in the slow cooker

the garlic is on the bottom under the roast

add the rest of the ingredients 

cover with the lid

cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours

the beautiful results!

Pot Roast with Vegetables, Garlic and Porcini Mushrooms

3 - 4 pounds boneless chuck roast
2 Tbsp canola oil (olive oil burns too easily, so I definitely do not recommend olive oil)
Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb blend
Nature's Seasons
1 large onion, chopped
8 large cloves of garlic, peeled, smashed, and chopped
1/2 cup red wine (I use a Meritage blend)
1 cup water with 3 - 4 tsps. beef bouillon (I use "Better Than Bouillon) or low-sodium beef broth
3 large carrots, peeled and cut up the way you prefer
3 large Idaho russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2" cubes
4 stalks celery, cut into 2" pieces
1 packet dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup finely chopped Italian parsley

In a large heavy pot, heat the oil. 

Season the roast with salt and pepper to taste, Mrs. Dash, and Nature's Seasons. 

Brown on all sides about 4 minutes per side.

Place the roast in the slow cooker with the garlic on the bottom of the pot.

Add the carrots, onion, potatoes, celery, mushrooms, and Italian parsley.
Blend the bouillon with the liquids.

Add the liquids to the pot.

Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours or on high setting for 4 hours.

Mangia!

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